Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-10-10
JEklLL AND HYDE.

JEklLL AND HYDE.
There is an old theatre manager il
London, very much run down at the bee
now, from whom you can get a great dra
Of information if you 20 about it in th,
right way. The right way is TO be pre-
pared to pay for all the liquid refresh
ment he cares 10 consume. His consum
ing ability is ST. great trising rs it does u
positive geniusl that only those who All
very wealthy. like myself, can ever hop
10 have an eNts2,!ed conversation viii
him.
Yes" ne said as the conversation
drifted III a musical direction, 'prims
donnas are very hard TO get along with
! have had my OWE share of trouble with
them, | can tell you. Which was tn.
worst? Well, you see, have had Yer,
little experience with what You might cal
the modern prima donna If were (,
mention the names of singers that have
had {" do with, the chances are that You
would scarcely recognize a single one OF
them The fame of n singer after all, is
very ephemeral Jenny Lind is still
alive. and yet her fame is largely
traditional. In few Years how
many Will there he who have heard her
sing? In the next generation how can
they tell whether the Patti of that day is
as great IA singer as the Swedish nightin-
gale was, There is no method of com
parison and there cannot be. Which was
the worst 10 get along with, Well, that s
hard TO tell. No: it isn't either Nv
mind must be wandering or would never
have hesitated for moment in answering
that question. Perhaps You think il is
age that makes my hair SO whitee Ii is
nothing Of the kind. ii wss the season l
had Mime. Trllena out ir the provinces.
Never heard of her, Well. dare say
not. Her season was hort and brilliant
one"
Il suppose it WAS Ler temper that was
the trouble''
Mime. Trillena -as the sweetest tenn
pered woman on earth. She was very
handsome, and ] don't. think she had u
fault in the world. When | tell YOU that
We We're married after the short season
you may imagine what my opinion of her
Was"
Docs she sing still3''
my dear boy, She never sang n note in
her life. She never could sing. Nature
having lavished other blessings on her.
denied her n voice.
But l thought you said that 1
don't quite follow you
''Oh. Yes you do. You were going to
say that you thought | said that she
starred in the provinces under the name
of Mime. Trillena. That is what | did say.
And very successful season it was. The
papers spoke Of her rs the greatest singer
VI the day"
And did You say she never sang a
note:'
''Not one. Couldn't 10 save her life.''
Say, hadn't you better drink some
thing milder than that This is getting
Thanks. no. never mix my liquor.
1 think good champagne is the soundest
tipple a man can use. Yes; perhaps il
would be a good precaution to put an
ether couple Of bottles on ice Then We
shall not he interrupted, TO- see shall
aave 10 tell you this story. hate inter
cuptions; don't yous'
"IeS. Go ahead. promise not to in
terrupt you again. no matter where YOU
land yourself"
Il meant nothing personal twas re-
" llit mere VERY
Few real walters nowadays like a deft
waiter who anticipates Your wants in
silence and fills your glass without asking
any questions. Well, TO begin at the be-
ginning, one day there came to nv Office
Airs. JckyH. She was a young widow
whose husband had died and left her with
rOthinC TO live on. She set to work and
learned shorthand and offered her services
rs amanuensis in answer TO an advertise
ment. As her husband had been an actor,
and she therefore knew more or less about
the work, I engaged her. She proved a
treasure. One day there came in a note
from a professor l knew in Milan recon-
to my notice Miss Hyde. whose
voice nc had been training, and with this
note came another from the young lady
herself. asking me to nlme a day when
she could call. l knew the professor
would send nobody who was not worth
hearing. so made the appointment
Exactly at the moment named Miss
Hyde WAS announced. Mrs. Jekyll was
sitting at a desk writing when Miss HYDE
came in, and, looking toward the door
She gave an involuntary little shrek and
irew back instinctively. From the glare
n Miss Hyde's eyes l knew she hated
Mrs. Jekyll from that instant.
Miss HIDE was the most appalling
human monstrosity l ever beheld She
seemed but little over two feet and half
high, with arms So long that they might
lave touched the floor. She had scarcely
my nose. but her mouth stretched from
ar 10 ear and gave her the appearance Of
always wearing a sardonic grin.
II have come Ia sing 10 YOU she said
.bruptly.
Miss Hyde,'I answered. If you had
he voice of an angel il would he quite
Useless. / do not wish To hErt your feel
ngs, but the fact is your-pi-your staga
presence is not such rs TO make a success
within the bounds of possibility
'Iou mean that | am 50 hiIeous that
he audience would not stand it, Yes. Won
10 mean that exactly: don't apologize, [
Know that it is true. But you promised
o-hear me sing. and hear me you must,
After that l have proposal 10 make to
'9n;'
II went to the plano, and / must say
hat l never heard anything like her voice.
let knew that il would De utterly i'm
'ossible 10 bring suoa a looking creature
N the stage. Her voice was something
and her tr;:;ning was perfect.
Now, she said, 4 want you TO get
ONE handsome woman, In whor You
have confidence, who could act the part
singing. Twill furnish the song; she
will furnish the stage presence, as you
call it
".Such a combination is impossible 1
replied
at is not impossible, she cried angrily,
with stamp Of her foot. 4 have already
tried it. Every stage has trap door.
have had constructed an ornamental fret
work box that will go over the trap, and
into that will climb from under the stage
l find that it can be successfully done
even when | stand among the scenery.
But this is much better, and detection Is
impossible. DO you think that with such
a voice as have that | am going to starve
in London, OF course what propose can
only be suited 10 concerts. but l have no
doubt that with n woman who could act
it might be managed even in opera l
shook my head, but the result was that
we went TO the theatre and tried il. Mrs.